


Truck Yeah

by Nge



Category: Spurs and Stripes (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-11-17 20:30:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18105917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nge/pseuds/Nge
Summary: Kim needed Charlie and Wes to take the truck and go check out some new horses for the ranch. Wes reassured Kim, “Don’t worry, boss! What could possibly go wrong?”...A Spurs and Stripes AU life-changing adventure!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Spurs and Stripes](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/464126) by Redmari. 



“Accounts Payable… June… Dr. Cordis, Veterinary $5,291.23… Double K Farm ‘N Ranch $19,312.76… Quarterly taxes… hmm… Where is it!?!” 

Charlie’s eyes widened nervously as he scrunched over his laptop, a pile of vendors’ receipts was strewn around it. Figures spun wildly through his head as he poured through, now for a third time, the spreadsheets that organized the Kimrick Family ranching operation’s finances. His nervousness was growing by the second, fearing that his ornery boss, James Kimrick (who went by Kimrick), would fire him on the spot. In his boss’ eyes, any work less than perfect indicated laziness, a severely punishable offense. And $27,000 unaccounted for was far, far, FAR less than perfect.

“Insurance… $41,5…. Wait.. 41? THERE IT IS!!!” Charlie exclaimed out loud. He finally found his typo, having reversed the “4” and “1” in a spreadsheet cell. He crunched the numbers again just to be safe. Crisis averted. A wave of calm fell over. He wouldn’t be berated for the mistake, wouldn’t lose his job with no hope of finding another, wouldn’t become homeless… and could breathe a sigh of relief.

Just when he fixed his error, as if he summoned a demon with his spreadsheet formulas, his boss moseyed through the door. Kimrick was the classic, rancher-type cowboy replete with bulging biceps and chiseled chest. He a had penetrating turquoise eye over which his blonde hair wisped gently – the poor guy lost his other eye in a tragic car accident that also claimed the lives of his mother and sister. He’d known Kimrick for a long time and even when he was younger, he had a hard exterior. But the accident virtually shut off all emotions from him. Though Charlie could appreciate this raging ball of rawhide-ridden manliness, he realized that his incessant self-doubting and timid nature would only spell disaster for any kind of relationship, especially with one as un-gay as one could seemingly be. So, it was pointless to even consider him as an interest. 

But sometimes, though. Sometimes, a person seems so right and so perfect that you just can’t help but fall for them, even if they’re straight. This is was the case for Charlie with the new ranch hand, Wes, who happened to be tagging along just behind Kimrick. 

Wes was beyond anything Charlie could dream up in any universe. His wide, friendly, inviting eyes drew Charlie in. He marveled at how they were clearer and bluer than the purest of ocean waters. His thick, slightly long yet perfectly placed jet black hair covered one eye, and flowed out from the grey Stetson tilted forward just slightly on his head. He wore a form-fitting black western dress shirt and, unconventional for cowboys, black skin-tight Wranglers. Everything bulged in just the right places. The full ensemble gave him that edgy, badass, “don’t tangle with me” country rocker look that made Charlie’s innards tingle with excitement. And, though he was smaller in stature than Kimrick, Charlie could drown himself in the testosterone that oozed out of every pore. Charlie couldn’t understand how he hadn’t ended up on the cover of a Country Music Magazine…. or as the featured cowboy on a Studs N’ Spurs Calendar. Oh the number of times he imagined Wes wearing only long-fringed black bullriding chaps and his hat pulled on tight ready for the ride of a lifetime… oo boy…

Though he never spent any one-on-one time with Wes, he saw how he interacted with others on the ranch. For instance, though everyone else made fun of Kylee, Wes treated him with respect and even tried to help him learn how to ride a horse. He was also a very outgoing prankster. He was amazed that he could get Kylee to kiss Kim that night at the bar. It was that personality that made the difference. And the whole package, looks and personality, were something that Charlie had never seen the likes of before. A genuinely nice and honest guy, extremely outgoing, the life of the party, hot as the Texas sun beating down during a heat wave. Absolutely. Beyond-Perfect. Boyfriend. Material. And that boyfriend material, Charlie decided, was so far out of his league….and again, woefully, regrettably straight. 

It didn’t hurt to ogle just a little and fantasize “what if..” except when you get so lost in thought that you miss your boss’ question without realizing.

“I said, did you finish those numbers?” Kimrick asked with a stern, cyclopsian gaze. 

Charlie jolted, sat up straight and tried to regain his composure. “Umm… uhh.. Yes! Everything balanced out and you’re clear to get new horses for the hands,” Charlie said with some trepidation and a forced smile on his face. He hoped his boss wouldn’t be able to tell that something had been slightly amiss.

“Good. Then, I need you an’ Wes to go ‘n check out som-o-the quarter horses they got for sale down at the Brisby farm.”

“Wes?” Charlie questioned. Wes leaned over from behind Kimrick, with an exaggerated smile and started pointing his thumb at himself and wobbling his head. “That’s me!!” he exclaimed, halfway mocking his priggish boss, halfway prepping to adore the attention he might get. Charlie let out a small chuckle, causing Kimrick to turn sharply toward Wes. Unsurprisingly, he let out a small grunt of resign.

“Yup. This rodeo clown over here knows his way aroun’ horses an’ can figur out right quick if any of em’ll be good for ranch work, and… uh… if one’d be good fer Kylee.” Charlie raised an eyebrow at that last comment. Ever since that night they went to the bar, he became much softer towards the younger teen. Initially, he thought Kimrick was crazy bringing on someone with zero knowledge of ranching, but now he wondered if more was going on than meets the eye. Maybe Kimrick was trying to help Kylee get his life back on track? A big brother sorta thing?

“Kylee?” Charlie questioned. “You want a horse for Ky….” He was abruptly cut off by his boss who clearly had no intention of being questioned on the matter. “Y’all can take my truck an’ leave now. Be back in 3 hours. I need Wes t’help with the cattle after lunch.” And with that, Charlie nodded and Kimrick began to walk out of the office. He stopped abruptly in the doorway and quipped, “an’ don go gittin’ into any trouble. I want that truck back in one piece.” Wes reassured him, “Don’t worry, boss! What could possibly go wrong?” Kimrick scratched the back of his neck and said, “With your jokin aroun’ around who knows. No trouble,” before walking off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truck Yeah credits:
> 
> Artist: Tim McGraw  
> Album: Two Lanes of Freedom  
> Released: 2013  
> Songwriter(s): Chris Lucas; Preston Brust; Chris Janson; Danny Myrick  
> Producer(s): Byron Gallimore; Tim McGraw  
> Label: Big Machine

Kimrick’s white Ford Super Duty truck was in pretty decent shape. It barely had any rust, drove smooth, and didn’t sound like the engine would fall out at any given moment. It even had a compact disc player - the latest in technologies from the late 90s - embedded right in the stereo system! Yep, they were definitely ridin’ high-class, ranch style. Wes insisted on driving, saying that it would be a great chance to learn his way around town. Charlie had no problem, and was thankful to take a little break from paying attention.

It wasn’t exactly the best day for this chore. Some thunderstorms had rumbled through and it was still drizzling. The roads were pretty damp. Wes didn’t seem to mind much as he was completely relaxed, window rolled down with arm hanging out, catching the coolness from the intermittent raindrops. Of course, he rode with no seatbelt, sunk into the driver’s seat. It was a little more dirty than poor Charlie could handle. 

Charlie, on the other hand, was noticeably rigid, only speaking up when he needed to give Wes directions on where to go next. It was as if he’d buckled his seatbelt a little too tight, cutting off circulation to his personality. In between instructions, while sitting in silence, he took glances over to the Adonis chauffeur and with each look became slightly more infatuated - those eyes, that chiseled stomach, those grabbable thighs raised up because of how he was sitting. With each new detail he appreciated on the cowboy’s body, he could feel his heart beating faster, and beads of sweat forming under his arms. He hoped he wasn’t starting to reek.

Wes noticed Charlie’s fleeting looks… and his discomfort. He thought to himself “Jeez, y’don’t have to be so shy. I’m really friendly!” He took initiative to tried and break the ice after a particularly long stretch of silence, “Hey, I know we didn’t git t’talk much yet, but I’d like to get to know you-n-everyone at the ranch a lil’ better! Y’all seem like a good group. So, let’s see.. what y’all do for fun?”

Wes’ question caught Charlie a little off-guard. He fidgeted in his seat, thinking he was being just a bit too awkward, and maybe a bit too obvious staring. He said, without giving a second thought, “I’m uhh really into astronomy!!”

“Oh great,” Charlie though to himself. “Lead off with the dorkiness. Way to go.”

Wes smiled and said earnestly “Really? Y’mean like stars ‘n shit?”

Charlie saw the friendliness in his face and accepted the invitation. “Yeah!” he said with a large, childlike smile. “Ever since I was a kid I always looked up at the stars and wondered what was out there, like, what it would be like to visit another planet. Like….Do you know the Opportunity Rover that’s on Mars? Well, NASA finally lost communication with it after 15 years. I loved keeping up-to-date with all its pictures and just hearing about all the amazing things that could be seen from the planet’s surface….”

Charlie went on for a good several minutes, spouting off different facts about planets, constellations and the like. Wes tried to be polite and follow along as Charlie flooded him with information, not wasting even a second to take a breath between sentences.

Once Charlie did stop, Wes just looked at him, a little dumbfounded and really not sure what to say after getting barraged with space jargon. So he did what he does best; he let out a joke, “Boy, y’all’re one helluva nerd, aintcha!” and started laughing.

It shouldn’t have triggered Charlie, but it did. Nerd. Loser. Dork. Things he had heard his entire life from guys like Wes, whose attention and acceptance he craved. All because he had intellectual interests like astronomy, and wasn’t the first one to go wrestle a steer or start a bar fight. They were all synonymous in his mind to undatable, unlovable, and unwanted. He started to ruminate on why he was…..himself. 

Wes, still laughing-out-loud, turned to Charlie to get additional affirmation of his funniness. But, he saw something he didn’t expect - Charlie looking sheepishly down like a child who had just been told his favorite stuffed animal was accidentally thrown out, desperately trying to hold back tears. With a sinking pit of guilt in his stomach that he struck a nerve, he quickly tried to patch things up.

“Awe – I’m only foolin’ around!” he said while giving Charlie a pat on the shoulder.

“Oh crap he just touched me!” Charlie said to himself, and snapped out of it, not wanting Wes to pick up on his deep dwellings of insecurity.

He tried to put on the best fake smile he could – “What? Oh n-nnnooo.. nooo.. I’m fine!” 

Wes didn’t buy it, but decided it wasn’t a good idea to push the issue. Not wanting to pry, he instead came up with the idea to listen to the radio to try and liven up the mood. 

“Hey – let’s see if Kim’s got any kinda decent system in this truck!”

He flipped on the radio, tuning it to 100.3 KILT to get his country on. He realized quickly one of his favorite songs, quite apt for the moment, was just about to start.

“AW YEAH! I LOVE TIM MCGRAW!” and decided to crank up the system.

_GOT LIL' WAYNE PUMPIN' ON MY IPOD_  
_PUMPIN' ON THE SUBS IN THE BACK OF MY CREW CAB_  
_REDNECK ROCKIN’ LIKE A ROCKSTAR_  
_SLING A LIL’ MUD OFF THE BACK, WE CAN DO THAT_  
_FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, SATURDAY LAST CALL, SUNDAY HALLELUJAH_  
_IF YOU LIKE IT UP LOUD AND YOU’RE HILLBILLY PROUD_  
_THEN YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT_  
_LET ME HEAR YOU SAY, TRUCK YEAH_  


Turns out Kim’s system wasn’t half bad. Wasn’t half good neither as they barely felt any vibration from the bass. He turned the volume back to a normal level and yelled out “TRUCK YEAHHHHHHHH!” right when the song commanded him to do so. The off-key singing-scream made Charlie completely forget his thoughts as he let out an echoing laugh.

_Wanna get it jacked up yeah_  
_Let's crank it on up yeah_  


Wes was relieved that Charlie was smiling again, and thought it safe to continue his conversation to learn a little more about this astronomer fellow.

“So… Y’all got a girlfriend?”

_With a little bit of luck I can find me a girl with a truck yeah_  
_We can love it on up yeah_  


Charlie, again caught off guard, hesitated slightly. He knew Wes was cool with Kylee, especially since he was cheering them on during their now infamous Jack-A-Diamonds tongue-locking session. He decided to just come clean.

“No, I’m single. But actually, uhhh.. I’m uhhh… gay.”

_'Til the sun comes up yeah_  
_And if you think this life I love is a little too country_  
_Truck Yeah_  


Charlie took a glance at Wes and saw his mouth agape, head leaned slightly forward in shock. Charlie’s smile transformed to a look of grave concern.

_Our party in the club is a honky tonk downtown_  
_Yeah that's where I like to hang out_  


Then Wes said, with a smile and twinkle in his impossibly blue eyes,  
“Wha… You’re a queer too? Y’all didn’t tell me I was gunna be workin’ at the Fabulous Buttfuckin’ Rainbow Ranch! Y’know back home they said there ain’t nothin’ but steers ‘n queers in Texas. Guess they were right!”

_Chillin' in the back room_  
_Hangin' with my whole crew_  


Charlie chuckled nervously, still a little apprehensive. “Where do you come up with this stuff, Wes? But, nah – it’s just me and Kylee. Actually, I haven’t told anyone at the ranch. Not even Kylee. I’m always a little scared of what people might do to me. I mean, look at what happened to Kylee with Rocko.”

_Sippin' on a cold brew, hey now!_  
_Got a mixed up playlist, DJ play this_  


“Don’t worry, Charlie. I ain’t backwards-minded like those goat-ropin’ assholes. If you like smokin’ sausage, then hey, what the heck man. I’ll be the first one t’get ya a charcoal grill!......And I won’t let anyone do anythin’ to you. Seems neither will Kimrick too.”

_Wanna hear a country song_  
_If you like it up loud and you're hillbilly proud_  


And with that comment, Charlie was all smiles again.

“I mean heck, seems like ever’one at the ranch has a lil’ queer in ‘em. When I dared Kylee to kiss Kimrick I didn’ expect them to try ‘n knit a grandmaw’s afghan with their tongues!”

_Throw your hands up now, let me hear you shout_  
_Truck yeah_  


Charlie cackled at the unexpected remark, “Hah!!!!!” Then he playfully mused, “…Even Dylan?”

_Wanna get it jacked up yeah_  
_Let's crank it on up yeah_  


“Got leather daddy written allllllll over ‘em, ” Wes joked as he lightly punched Charlie in the shoulder to enforce his belief.

“Another touch….. Ooohhhhh,” Charlie moaned to himself. “Remember, he’s straight. Get yourself together!”

_With a little bit of luck I can find me a girl with a truck yeah_  
_We can love it on up yeah_  
_'Til the sun comes up yeah_  
_And if you think this life I love is a little too country_  
_Truck yeah_  


Charlie smirked as he shook his head, “Where do you come up with this stuff….”

Wes just shrugged his shoulders and gave a sassy smile.

_Rap or country, city farm_  
_It don't matter who you are_  


After a moment Charlie decided to turn the tables, “What about you Wes? Don’t you have a girlfriend? Her name’s Madison, right? Do you miss her?”

Now, it was Wes’ turn for some discomfort. He looked over at Charlie and his face fell. Sooner or later, he knew, the truth would catch up to him. But was this the right time to be honest? Did Charlie have a big mouth? It certainly seemed safe to come clean -- Charlie seemed like a really trusting and caring guy, even if a little on the nerdy side. And the lying started to weigh on him more and more.

_Got a little fight, got a little love_  
_Got a little redneck in your blood_  
_Are you one of us?_  


Charlie’s voice shook a little and looked at Wes, “Oh.. Oh!!! I’m sorry, did… did something happen? I shouldn’t have asked…. I’m sorry!”

Wes looked back at him, took a sigh, and said, “No, no.. It’s OK. You ain’t doin’ nothin’ wrong. Truth is Charlie, I’m….”

_Truck yeah_  
_Wanna get it jacked up yeah_  


It was the absolute worst time to look away from the road. They didn’t even have a chance. Coming around the bend, an 18-wheeler going in the opposite direction took the turn way too fast for the slick road. The back end slid from behind, into their lane, and hit the Super Duty head on with a thunderous “SMASHHHHH”. The force was so great, the back of the truck got some air as they spun out of control, landing sideways in a ditch on the side of the road.

_Let's crank it on up yeah_  
_With a little bit of luck I can find me a girl with a truck yeah_  
_We can love it on up yeah_  
_'Til the sun comes up yeah_  
_And if you think this life I love is a little too country_  
_You're right on the money_  
_Truck yeah!_  



End file.
